Annoyance for Ceil Phantomhive
by KiraraMika101
Summary: Alina Highborn hates Ceil and his annoying attitude. Then she meets a blond boy with a kindred soul to hers and is immediately fascinated by him. Yet, suddenly Ceil and Alois both are talking to her way too often...
1. Dancing

Chapter 1

"Ceil," Alina Highborn growled up at him as he spun her to the ball's music. It was a slow classic style of music the Phantomhives loved to play, for they played it for balls and celebrations every new year, but she still hadn't the faintest idea what it was called.

Ceil had that relaxed smile on his face that he reserved for things like this, when public came to his mansion. Only she and his staff knew, however, that the thirteen-year-old Earl of the Phantomhive toy company was only pretending.

He never smiled genuinely. "What is it, Alina? Don't want to dance anymore?" he asked it tauntingly, but his face was pleasant. Alina's own features were schooled to match his own. "Of course I would love to keep up this dance," she answered politely. "But it is rather true that you have trouble keeping with the tune-and stepping on my feet." She added as Ceil crushed her left toe accidently with his boot. Accidently, assuredly.

"Well," he responded in a strained voice as he swept her across the ballroom floor among the other guests. Alina could see her white skirts trailing behind her from the corner of her eye. "Let's hope this dance does end soon, so that I can find a more… respectful partner."

Politeness, politeness, and more politeness. It was what she and Ceil played whenever Alina came over by force from her parents. The Highborns were dear friends of the Phantomhives, and she and Ceil had known each other since they were infants. But, after that incident with Ceil's parents and the burning down of his old home, Ceil had begun to act different and rude. Not only that, but he brought back a butler that intimidated her with his too perfect act and his handsome looks. Not only _that_ but Ceil Phantomhive has become the most annoying person ever to her.

He was…way too bossy. She felt herself relax into a standstill.

"Alina?" Ceil said, stopping in their dance to look at her. His ultra-marine colored eye held the candlelight from the ceiling, making it almost seem to sparkle. Alina always wondered what was behind the eyepatch on his right eye, however. He was frowning. "What's wrong, why do you look like you've seen a ghost?"

That was funny. Her bronze skin never got pale, even if she was frightened, besides, if it did, no one could tell. She glowered her gray eyes at him, scowling. "And whatever do you care? And what are you going on about anyway?"

The changing look of recognition in his eye made him look less cynical. "Oh. Of course," he muttered to himself. "Anastasia warned me about that…"

Alina felt like he'd just slapped her in the face. "Warned you about what?!" she exclaimed. Ceil gave her a startled look, having been thinking to himself, and shrugged, a cocky look on his face. "Nothing. Would you like something to eat? The ball has been going on for some time after all, and I would think you'd be parched."

Alina narrowed her eyes at him, but he turned on his heel to head to the servants on the other side of the room, two of those goofballs that butler allowed to work here: the red haired teen in glasses and that super strong boy with the blond hair, though he was too short and too twig-like to believe, stood at attention.

"I really do not need special treatment from you, Ceil, just because you think we're friend or something." Alina tried. Ceil looked back at her, none too happy like she predicted he would be, but said: "And you think I care about if we're friends or not, Alina? We only grew up together, do not insinuate we could have something other than mutual agreement." Alina tried not to feel too deflated at his condescending tone, but this was what she hated the most about him. _His cockiness!_

Unfortunately, Ceil hadn't let go of her hand and was pulling her along after him, through the many attendants that were connections to Ceil's toy company. And of course, like all else about Ceil, she didn't know any of the people.

Chatter about random things came from them:

"Isn't this ball just fine? It's always gathered at noon to one."

"It's always held with such precision."

"For a tragic end for the earl's parents, Master Ceil has taken himself quite well."

"Have you seen his butler- ravishing!"

Alina bared her teeth. "Ceil, stop," she said, trying to pull away. "I don't want any food, I just want to- "

 _Get away from you._

She hated being in the dark of someone she had to be around, but she also hated it when he had a sour attitude. She thought she'd had enough of the dancing and wanted to find her maid and get out of there. Ceil ignored her, though, gripping her hand tighter.

"Young master!" cried the blond boy and the red head together. The boy's green eyes were all happiness and the red head smiled too hugely. It always startled Alina, actually, when she was confronted with people who actually seemed to be happy with Ceil.

Ceil stopped in front of them, Alina at his side and trying to keep from becoming annoyed. It wasn't working.

"Get Lady Alina some water, her throat is parched from all the dancing. Also a tray of Sebastian's pies." said Ceil in his haughty way, it seemed he was also oblivious to their apparent giddiness. Go figure. The servants bowed, shouting "Right, sir, right away sir," before scurrying off.

"They are too loud." Alina said bluntly. Ceil watched them disappear down the hallway, nodding in agreement. "They are a tad noisy."

Alina glanced at him. At his midnight blue attire his butler no doubt picked for him to wear to today's ball. His short dark hair, and that mysterious eyepatch. Alina knew he would never tell her the things that went on in his mansion when she was not around, but he could at least tell her about the butler. Yet, even when she began to ask him, she knew he would tell her to shut her mouth and stay out his business-exactly like that. So, instead she blurted. "I didn't need you to do that for me." Ceil looked at her. Then above her, and his face changed from mildly annoyed to irritation in a heartbeat.

"When did I invite Alois Trauncy to my place?" He muttered in barely contained disgust.

A shout from the double doors broke the calm of the day ball, and everyone turned in startlement to the voice.

"Hello, everyone!" said a boy's shout. "No one came to invite me so I came by myself!" there was laugher coming from him, loud and care-free, as bodies shifted to move out of the way and a boy taller than Ceil by at least half a head walked through the crowd.

He was blond haired and blue eyed and- _staring so coldly at her_.

"Well, Hello, there Alois," Ceil said glumly. "Tell your butler to stop staring at me." Alina, surprised, looked up at the tall man that seemed like a shadow behind the other boy. He was like Sebastian in the way of his sculptured looks, but for the glasses, and his black eyes were on Ceil in a hungry way. Alina definitely didn't like _him_ , either.

The boy looked immediately annoyed at that, and turned his head slightly to glare up at his butler. "Go find Sebastian and make peace, would you, Claude? I wish to discuss with Ceil about something."

'Yes, young master," the man, Claude, bowed to him with his hand over his heart, much like Sebastian did with Ceil, and walked off to find him. Alina couldn't help but stare after him as he disappeared around a corner. His walk was even similar to Sebastian's.

"And who's the chick?" the boy asked rudely. Alina turned on him, her eyes searing into his pale blue ones.

 _Eyes so cold like frozen over water, cracked in places and broken in others._

"You…" she started. Then she lunged at him, and he shouted in surprise as they tumbled to the ground. Breathing hard, Alina grabbed his face with both hands and looked down on him, giddy with happiness. She felt her eyes were widened and her smile was hurting. She just couldn't believe she found someone like her….

 _Broken, broken, broken, like the plastic toys her mother would bring her and she would tear apart, to keep them close to her, every little piece._

Ceil was shocked behind them. "Alina! Get a hold of yourself, did you not take your capsules today!?" he demanded frantically as people in the crowd turned in gasps and stares.

Alois's eyes looked as if they were trying not to laugh at her, but his face was as pale as ice.

"Alois Trauncy," she breathed as he stiffened underneath her at his name. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."


	2. Dolls

Beside him, Ceil watched as Sebastian put a warm cloth on top of Alina's head, and popped two of her pills expertly into her mouth. _Monitus jajanus,_ a drug some of the best scientists gave him and Sebastian for Alina. It literally meant prevention health less, nonsense, really, but impressive all the same. At first Ceil had imagined it was poison, for the scientists Sebastian had introduced to him when Alina became sick last year looked a bit off and their backgrounds were equally mysterious, but after a little bit of hard research, he found that it was alright.

Though, he was always on top of his game with information concerning his subjects, Sebastian's earlier taunts about actually liking her kept getting into his head, making him snatch looks at her lying asleep in the guest bed, her long curly dark hair splayed out on the pillow like some angel's, her long lashes complimenting her Indian and African American skin so that she resembled one of her collection of dolls trapped in her room.

 _Trapped, huh._ Ceil thought with a smirk. _Like her, I bet._

She was sound asleep, had been since that afternoon when Alina fainted. Alois, who was sitting not two feet away from him and Sebastian, sitting with one foot on the chair and the other splayed to match his slumped positon. His pale blue eyes were still looking pissed from the unexpected tackle, his mouth tight together as he watched Alina sleep. It kind of annoyed Ceil for some reason.

"Alois," Ceil spoke, turning to him with arms crossed. Alois glanced at him, his expression of annoyance not changing. "You wanted to talk to me about something? I believe you have no obligation to stay here since you haven't done anything wrong."

"I'll be the judge of that, Ceil," said Alois, a smile on his face now. "Whether I go or stay, that is."

Ceil's eyes narrowed. What was this impish prick saying? "You don't have any reason to be here, Alois," he growled. "Why would you even consider the thought of staying?"

Alois's grin just widened. "Why is it such a pain in the ass to you? I can be wherever I want to be."

Ceil tried not to get angry, but instead said in a pleasant-forced voice. "You wanted to talk to me. Right?"

Alois shrugged and looked back at Alina. Sebastian was standing and turning to the two boys with a bow. There was a fixed smile on his face. Ceil knew that look. His heart thumped in his chest suddenly, and he lowered his eyes in suspicion.

"Young lord- "he began in his low deep voice, until Alois's sharp tone cut in.

"Will she awaken soon?"

Ceil turned to look at him in surprise. He had wondered when they'd come into the guest room with Alina in Sebastian's arms why Alois had followed, but he hadn't thought he would want to see her wake up. To t-talk to her.

 _Stupid._ Ceil thought to himself as Sebastian turned his dark red eyes on Alois _. Why can't Alois talk to her?_

"She'll awaken soon, Alois. But I do believe your butler is waiting for you outside. You haven't forgotten him have you?" asked Sebastian with his polite expression intact. Alois smirked, not caring for his charms, and stood to turn to Alina's sleeping form.

The day ball had ended early for the afternoon after Alina's little episode with Alois, and then when she fainted on his person, Ceil had called Sebastian to come and take her to the guest bedroom they always took her to when she fainted unexpectedly. Claude had been waiting for his master for at least ten minutes now since the guests left.

"Right," Alois said. "Claude can take care of himself. My interests, however, lies elsewhere. Like," he turned to look at Ceil, his blue eyes piercing with barely contained anger. "Why she duked me in the first place."

Ceil looked away from Alois's expression, taking comfort in the fact that Sebastian was nearby if he needed him, and said with stiffness. "I believe, _Alois,_ that she thought you were someone she knew."

Alois looked surprised at that, but he and Sebastian's expressions remained neutral. Of course, Ceil hated the fact that Alina looked at Alois and immediately took a liking to him. When he saw her face as she tackled him, he was surprised to find such…radiance. Like she was happy.

She never looked at _him_ like that before.

"But why?" Alois asked, turning to face them. The windows behind Alois and Alina let in the growing evening light. It shone on his head to make Ceil think of it as gold, and that-looking at Alois's features- made him think of an angel. It did nothing to alleviate his mood.

"Why?" Ceil snorted. "because she's the sort of person who shares the same sickness as you." At Alois's confused expression, Ceil growled, "Your state of mind, Alois."

Silence.

Sebastian tried to speak again, but was interrupted, again, by Alois.

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?!" he cried. "My state of mind! I'll have you know my state of mind is- "

Alina moaned and opened her eyes. Gray as silver pupils looked around the room until they rested on Ceil, then Alois, and finally Sebastian.

Ceil's traitorous heart thumped painfully in his chest.

"Why are you all yelling?" The dark-haired girl said monotonously. "Can't you see I'm dying peacefully here?"

"Alina," began Ceil. "I- "

"Why did you tackle me, girl?" Alois said, looking down on her with an unreadable expression. Alina stared up at him, and Ceil could see how quickly her breathing was getting. He moved forward to grab Alois's shoulder, and pulled him away from her, anger in every line of his body. "Don't get so close to her." He hissed. "She's recovering."

Alois's blue eyes glared back at Ceil, but when he spoke it was directed at Alina. "I have a right to know why you tackled me."

"I only thought you looked like a doll I once had." Alina said. Ceil stiffened, and quickly looked at her. The warning from Sebastian he'd given earlier through his expression was in his head.

Her eyes were clouded.

"We need to leave her be," Ceil said to Alois. "When she begins to talk about her dolls things go south quickly."

"What does that supposed to mean?" demanded Alois, but he didn't resist when Ceil pulled him by the shoulder to the door.

"Sebastian." Ceil said, turning to look at him with his one good eye. Sebastian smiled as if knowing what he would say, and bowed with a hand over his heart. "I will stay with Lady Alina until you are through, young master."

Ceil turned to the door with Alois and opened it. Both of their feet were loud as they tromped down the hallway to the dining hall, where Ceil felt he could speak in private with his long-standing rival.

Once they entered the spacious room, Alois shrugged him off and spun to face him. "Alright, no more tricks! Tell me what is going on or so help me-"

"It really is none of your business, Alois, but for the sake of Alina, I will tell you what she is."

Alois froze, staring at him. "What she is? What do you-"

"Frst off, she is not your ordinary girl."

Alois frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. "I have figured that much from the moment she hit me."

"Second, when I said you and her share a similar state of mind, I meant it. You were traumatized as a child, resulting in your broken nature now, and she was the same way. The same way now."

Alois was looking at him like he was dirt. "I am not the broken one, _Ceil_. Look at yourself. Prancing around the place like a lost little puppy, so cynical for your own good to even live properly."

A roar of anger crashed into Ceil's head. How dare he?! How dare he insinuate that what he was doing for his parents made him _broken_.

Ceil grabbed the front of Alois's shirt front, to punch him, but before he could get his fist up, Alois knocked him onto his back and pinned him with his legs straddling his waist. He looked down on him with a nastily amused grin. Ceil's head hurt from the impact against the ground, but he didn't cry out. He wouldn't give Alois the satisfaction.

"You're all poise and steel when you're standing, but you look like a scared little baby when you're on the ground." Alois laughed. "It's precious."

"Get off of me," Ceil growled, humiliated. "Now, now," Alois taunted as Ceil struggled. "You're the one who picked this fight. I only wanted to know more about the lady. For instance, why did her eyes cloud over when she answered my question?"

"Ceil?" he repeated when Ceil wouldn't speak. Then Ceil balked when Alois began moving against him, laughing at the green that was surely on Ceil's face. "What is it, Ceil?" he said, his eyes wicked. "Sick to your stomach already?"

He bent over him to whisper in his ear then, and his breath was hot on his skin. "Don't like boys?"

 _Damn you, Alois!_ Ceil thought angrily, and shoved at his heavy weight. Alois continued to laugh and push with his waist, sending Ceil into a desperate panic. "Alois! Stop this instant or I will call my butler!"

Alois stopped then, his breathing the only thing moving now. Ceil knew of his past, of the sick way his life was with an old man before coming into a mansion of his own. Sebastian got the entail from Claude himself a long time ago, but Ceil had never thought he'd have to deal with the results of that pedophile's influence.

He'd just been violated, but that, surprisingly, was the least of Ceil's concerns. He was still thinking of the question he'd asked him of Alina.

" _Why did her eyes cloud over when she answered my question?" Asked Ceil to Alina's maid, who was standing over Ceil and Alina unconscious in his arms. Rain fell in torrents on them, the night air hot and cold at the same time. The Highborn mansion stood just behind them, where a pool of dark blood sat stained in front of the steps. Lying in it was the likeness of a broken doll, split at the waist, of Ceil himself. Two blue-colored eyes looked at the sky with a glassy stare, as if it truly did die, as if it were real before._

" _Whenever she speaks of her dolls the energy she spent to make them would begin to drain her, so she doesn't speak of them." answered the maid. her dark skin was glistening in the wet._

" _That doesn't make any sense," said Ceil, shaking his head. Alina's wet hair was like a rug over his knuckles, he held her close, afraid for her health from the rain's wrath. "If the dolls drain her then why does she make them? Or why does she speak about them in the first place?"_

 _Anastasia had smiled, and looked down on her master. "She is cursed, Ceil." She said._

"Then tell me, Ceil," Alois said now, interrupting Ceil's thoughts. Startled, Ceil stared at him as he sat up on top of him, his blond head bowed so Ceil could only see his mouth. "I want an answer."

Ceil took a deep breath. "She is cursed." Startled, Alois looked up at him, his blue eyes full of surprise. "Cursed? Like you and me? She's signed a demon contract?"

"No," Ceil said, amused at that. A curse, hm? He guessed the demon's contracts would be that way to someone like Alois. "Ever since she was a child she has had a problem with her body. It's called the expensure of energy. You do know of the rule energy cannot be destroyed or created, right?"

Alois slowly nodded, his lips twitching slightly. "She had the unfortunate event of being born with too much energy." Ceil continued. "It needed to be released somehow. She uses dolls to do it, creates them as her hobby, but whenever she talks about them, that same energy she spent before comes back on her and causes her to destroy things. It is why I left Sebastian to her needs."

Alois looked up, as if exasperated, and got off of Ceil. Ceil got to his feet, beyond relieved, but was quickly annoyed again when Alois pushed him against the wall. "Alois, what in the world are you- "

The ceiling began to make breaking noises, and flakes fell onto them from the ceiling, before the bit where the two boys were standing over fell in a crash onto the floor.

Ceil stared at it, wide-eyed.

"What is that?" demanded Alois, as they both stared at the doll in the middle of the debris, picking itself up and straightening. When it turned, it's pale blue eye and its marine blue eye looked blankly at them. It's blond and dark-blue hair was covered in debris ash.

Sebastian hadn't stopped her this time.


	3. Going Out

Chapter 3

Alois stared at the doll in fascination as it watched them with its discolored blue eyes. Ceil, standing against the wall in the circle of his arms, was watching it as well, but Alois had the sneaking suspicion he was more worried about the hole in the ceiling and the mess surrounding the doll than the strange thing itself.

"Alois," Ceil said, sounding serious and pushing in front of him to confront the doll. It was small with white skin and a mix of blond and dark blue hair on top of its head. It's marine blue eye and its pale blue eye focused on Ceil as he moved, and Alois stiffened when it began to open its mouth.

It had small rows of human teeth.

"Keep behind me while I call Sebastian, "began Ceil, and reached for his eyepatch over his right eye. Alois, however, couldn't contain the excitement bubbling inside him any longer. "Ceil!" he shrieked. "It's _so_ cute!"

Ceil whipped his head around to stare at him, disgust and surprise on his face. " _What_!?"

Ignoring his look, Alois clapped his hands together and gazed at the smiling creepy doll. "It looks just like us-like our very own baby!"

The look Ceil gave him was one of extreme hatred, but before he could say anything, Sebastian and Claude burst in, both men exclaiming as one: "Young master! Are you alright?!"

Alois turned with Ceil to see them, both of the black clad butlers looking uneasy, which was unusual in itself, but what caught Alois's eye-and he suspected Ceil's too- was the brown-colored girl in Sebastian's arm. She was wild-haired and still in her white ball gown, her quartz-gray eyes on them with indifference.

"What is the meaning of this!?" demanded Ceil, his haughty demeanor showing as he swept his arm over the debris and the doll standing silently in its middle. "Alina-explain yourself." He pinpointed on her.

Everyone looked at Alina in Sebastian's arm, and, dangling there like a sack and looking bored, she just shrugged. "Sometimes my creations like to go haywire, you already know that, Ceil."

Ceil looked like he was about to smite someone, but his butler spoke up before he could. "Young master, it was my fault she got out of control. I believe the capsules I'd given her were the cause. Her maid did warn us about using them more than once a day."

"But she hadn't taken any today. Did you see what she did to Alois earlier?"

Alois startled when eyes turned on him, and the girl winked at him. Alois blushed and looked away.

"I only knocked him down because I was excited. Anastasia made sure I took my pills, do not worry," Alina said in a monotone voice without looking at Ceil. "By the way," she said, twisting in Sebastian's arm to look up at him. "Where is my maid?"

"She left a bit early," Said Claude, pushing up his spectacles. Alois started at his voice, and looked at him. He was ashamed to think he'd forgotten all about him.

"I saw her leave with the other guests. I suppose she was in a hurry to run some errands?"

Allina looked a little ill. "Put me down," she commanded. Distantly Alois thought she spent a little too much time with Ceil. Sebastian did as she asked, and she turned to the two men. "My maid has gone back home to call my parents. Whenever I seem to be in danger to her she would make sure to contact them."

"So she leaves you behind?" said Alois, oddly agaited at the thought. Alina turned her gray eyes on him, her black hair moving off one shoulder in a provocative way. Alois knew his face was flushed, but he wondered why Ceil suddenly looked annoyed, not that that was anything new.

"She leaves me with Ceil and his butler. It's a history thing we have." She told him.

"Fine," snapped Ceil, gaining everyone's attention. "But what about my dining room? It's ruined because of your stupid super powered dolls. And why does it look like both me and Alois?" he demanded angrily.

Alina looked at the mess for the first time, the gaping black hole in the ceiling where one could see the second story hallway, and the doll that dropped down from it, still standing and watching them. It was like a small soldier waiting for orders. A creepy small smiling soldier waiting for orders.

"I saw you and him before I fainted, my mind warped you together, and there's the finished product," She looked at him with the annoyance Alois had seen in her before he'd come into their midst. "Don't worry, I won't let it eat up your precious mansion."

A sound of someone clearing his throat pulled their attention to Sebastian, and he smiled pleasantly at them. Claude looked on with barely contained annoyance on his face. The two must have been talking with one another.

"Young master, If I may ask, what would you say if you three went out for a bite to eat?"

Alois blinked at him, Alina stared, and Ceil bit back something rude he was going to say, saying instead, "And what, pray tell, does that have to do with our situation right now?"

"Allowing your butler and I to clean up, of course." responded Claude. Alois was a bit impressed with his calm tone. If he were in his shoes he'd probably have hit Ceil or something. Alois put a hand on his hip, smirking. "Yes, Ceil, why not go out and eat? It would give us time to get to know each other better." He said, glancing at Alina, who had her back turned to them and crouched over her doll.

Ceil looked to the ceiling, looking exasperated. "Both of our butlers are plenty capable of cleaning up with all three of us in here. Why are you pushing us away?" he added, glancing toward them.

Sebastian and Claude looked at him smoothly, unflinching in the heat of the young lord's gaze.

Alois had to agree with Ceil there, however. He couldn't say he wasn't the least bit suspicious of what Sebastian and Claude were planning. He gave them a look, waiting for their answer too.

But, who answered was Alina.

"I think it's a good idea." She said, turning to look at them. Alois saw that she held her soldier doll in her arms, and it was hanging there limply, like a doll should. Though, Alois still didn't trust it.

"I want to get to know more about _you_ most of all," she added, startling Alois in looking up into her gray eyes. She was smiling a big smile, and for some reason it warmed his soul. She took a step toward him, and he stepped back. "ah…" he began, at a loss for words. But, Ceil saved him from having to say anything-and moving again- by standing in Alina's way.

Alina looked at him with spite. "We are not going to eat anywhere." He growled. His face was red as well. "You're going to help the butlers clean this mess you made."

Alina looked angry at that, and she gritted her teeth. "You're no boss of mine, Ceil. I can do whatever I want, and I'll go and eat with Alois!"

Alois felt like a roach when Ceil turned his seething gaze on him, wondering if he was about to be crushed.

"You need to get out of here, anyway." He snarled. "Go have your own balls or whatnot.  
I hadn't even invited you here in the first place."

Alois bristled. He knew that, and he was still trying to ignore the fact that Ceil had intentionally left him in the dark about his events. He didn't need to remind him of that.

"I'm going." He said angrily. "With Alina. Whatever you do is your business."

He took Alina by the arm, and she snaked it through his, smiling. They both started for the doorway, and both butlers stepped back to let them through. They looked back at Ceil, waiting.

Alois really didn't want to leave him there alone, and he guessed so did Alina, since she had stopped at the same moment he did.

"Ceil?" she asked, before he could get a word out. Ceil stood there, his expression unreadable, but at her voice, he looked a bit more softly at them. "What?"

"Come with us?" Alois said. "We could all be friends you know."

Ceil gave him a doubtful look, his marine blue eye glaring, but finally, he relented.

"I suppose I could come for a little whi-" Alois and Alina squealed, and grabbed Ceil's hands, pulling him out the door. "Hey-!" he cried, but Alois and Alina were too busy laughing and dragging him to the doors outside.

"Let's get ice-cream!" shouted Alina.

"Let's get Ceil a new eyepatch," Alois said slyly, making to snatch at it. Ceil ducked under his reach, scowling. "Back off, Alois, like I said, I'm only coming for-"

"Aw, be quiet, Ceil," Laughed Alina. They made it outside, and the sun beamed down on their faces, on Alina's most of all. She was smiling and her gray eyes were twinkling, her creepy doll in one hand, and her other arm around Alois's. "Let's just enjoy being outside for once!"

Alois saw it when Ceil finally stopped being so cold, he fell into step beside them, an actual smile, although small, on his face, and Alois thought that maybe, just maybe, this girl could do what he couldn't do since the year he first met Ceil.

Maybe she could make them both happy, and have them all become something like family.


End file.
